Polls Open Until 7:00 for Primary Election Day in Kansas
TOPEKA, Kan. (KNS) - Tuesday is Election Day in Kansas and Missouri. Republican and Democratic voters in Kansas, who have not already cast a ballot in early voting, will have the opportunity to vote in the primary election Tuesday. The results will shape important state and local races ahead of general election in November. Democratic US Representative Sharice Davids will find out which Republican opponent she will face as she tries to hold on to her seat in the Kansas 3rd Congressional District. Physician Dr. Prasanth Reddy of Lenexa and business owner Karen Crnkovich of Overland Park, are competing in the GOP Primary. Meanwhile voters in the 2nd Kansas Congressional District will choose between five Republicans including former state Attorney General Derek Schmidt, or two Democrats, community developer Matthew Kleinmann and former Congress member Nancy Boyda. In Johnson County, controversial sheriff Calvin Hayden faces a GOP primary challenge from his former undersheriff, Doug Bedford. Republican voters in Johnson County will also choose a candidate for district attorney. There are numerous other primary races on the ballot for the US House of Representatives and the Kansas Legislature. Secretary of State Scott Schwab is predicting low turnout in this election, especially compared to 2020, during the last presidential election and 2022, when the anti-abortion Value Them Both Amendment was on the ballot. Schwab predicts voter turnout will be more in line with the 24% figure from 2016. Polls will be open Tuesday until 7 p.m. You can check your voter registration, your voting districts and your polling place through the Kansas secretary of state’s office at https://www.sos.ks.gov/. Find more information on the candidates in both Kansas and Missouri at KCvoter guide.org.
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Voters in KS-02 Congressional District Cast Ballots in Primary Election
UNDATED (KNS) – Voters in Kansas cast ballots Tuesday in the 2024 primary election. The Kansas News Service reports that one of the most important races is for the 2nd District in Congress, which covers Topeka, Baldwin City and southeastern Kansas. Outside of a polling place in downtown Baldwin City, retired teacher Michelle Kirk said she struggled to choose between the two Democratic candidates, Nancy Boyda and Matt Kleinmann. She says transgender rights are a major issue for her. “I know so many folks who are trans youth and adults and both of them have kindness towards both of those areas so I wanted both of them to win,” she explained. Another voter in downtown Baldwin City, Darlene Westhoff, said the levels of immigration to the U.S. influenced her decisions at the ballot box. “Well just what’s on the news, the — too many! And they’re coming over illegally. So come over like you’re supposed to,” she added.
Pete Leal of Topeka is a Democrat who voted for Nancy Boyda. He says he wants someone in office who advocates for the homeless. “I don’t know how to explain it, like, there should be more people wanting to go out there and tell people that, you know, you can change,” he added. Community developer Matt Kleinmann is also running on the Democratic side.
Republican candidates include former state Attorney General Derek Schmidt, the previous head of the Kansas Livestock Association, Shawn Tiffany, and former Trump appointee Jeff Kahrs. Five candidates are competing for the Republican nomination.
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Prosecutors Say They Will File a Criminal Charge Against Former Marion Police Chief in Connection with Newspaper Raid
UNDATED (KNS) – An investigation by a special prosecutor says a local police chief broke the law and should be charged in the wake of a 2023 police raid on the Marion County Record newspaper. The Kansas News Service reports that prosecutors say they’ll file a criminal charge against Gideon Cody, former police chief of Marion, Kansas who led the raid. Report documents allege Cody attempted to interfere with the judicial process after the search warrants were executed. The investigation also concluded that staff at the Marion County Record did not commit any crimes when accessing public driving records. The report notes several civil lawsuits filed as a result of the raid.
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Search of Kansas City Home Turns Up Bombs, Weapons and Drugs
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) - Three people are being held after a large stash of illegal explosives, drugs, and weapons were found in a Kansas City home. KCTV reports that Clay County law enforcement officials searched the home Friday after receiving several tips. They reportedly found two pipe bombs, 15 grenades, more than 100 pounds of explosive powder, several guns -- including an Uzi, and a large amount of ammunition. A child was present in the home at the time, but has since been placed with relatives. One man and two women were taken into custody on various drug and weapons charges. Additional federal charges may be filed for the explosives and weapons that were found.
Prosecutors say 32-year-old Erika Lehr and 46-year-old Cory Young have been charged with child endangerment, as well as weapons and drug charges. 52-year-old Tammie L. Bindel Cole was arrested on drug and weapon charges.
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Time Running Out to Pass New Farm Bill; Extension Expected
LINCOLN, Neb. (HPM) - It’s now looking likely that Congress will not pass a new Farm Bill this year. The calendar is running out of days for Congress to debate a new Farm Bill, especially amid tough negotiations on food assistance and farm support programs. Most observers are expecting Congress to extend the 2018 Farm Bill for a second time. But Tony Hotchkiss, who leads the agricultural and rural bankers committee for the American Bankers Association, says an extension is not the best option for farmers and ranchers. Especially as they stare down a tough economy. "We need a farm bill that we can count on for the next five years and not something that we're doing year-to-year because the agricultural industry is much too dynamic for a year to year kind of scenario," Hotchkiss said. Agriculture experts say farmers need more help than the 2018 Farm Bill can provide against today’s high input costs and low crop prices.
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New Jackie Robinson Statue Unveiled in Wichita
WICHITA, Kan. (KNS) - Hundreds of people braved the heat Monday night as a new Jackie Robinson statue was unveiled at the home field of a youth baseball league named in honor of the legend, League 42. The new statue came from the cast of the original, which was designed by a late friend of the league's executive director. The original statue was stolen in January by thieves who intended to sell it for scrap metal. Robinson was the first African American to play Major League Baseball. Hundreds of thousands of dollars was raised to replace the stolen statue.Some of the money raised will also be used to improve the area around the baseball field and to upgrade the youth league’s facilities and programs.
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Applications Open for Another Set of Opioid Settlement Fund Grants
WICHITA, Kan. (KNS) – Applications are now open for another round of grants from State of Kansas opioid settlement funds. The Kansas News Service reports that the state has $4 million that it will allocate for programs focused on prevention, health providers and first responders. The grant funding is limited to state agencies, local and county governments, and non-profits. Providers can apply for up to $200,000 in funding. The money is part of a national legal settlement against prescription opioid makers, distributors and pharmacies. More information can be found at the Kansas Attorney General's website.
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Kansas Poet Laureate Receives Academy of American Poets Fellowship
LAWRENCE, Kan. (KPR) – The Academy of American Poets has awarded a $50,000 fellowship to Kansas Poet Laureate Traci Brimhall. She is one of 22 poets laureate nationwide to receive the award. The money will be used for public poetry programs in each laureate's state, region, or community. Brimhall's project will connect Kansas's agricultural roots, foods, and cultural histories with poetry, and will help create a community poetry cookbook. Her project will also involve a poem game called "Pie-ku," designed to bring food and poetry to younger audiences.
For more information on the Kansas fellowship project and the 2024 recipients, visit poets.org.
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Illinois Man Arrested for Threatening Chiefs at Arrowhead Concert
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV/KPR) - An Illinois man has been arrested after threatening to shoot two Kansas City Chiefs players at a concert. Detectives with the Kansas City police department discovered the threat against the Chiefs on social media. The concert, featuring country music singer-songwriter Morgan Waller, was delayed by 40 minutes Friday while authorities searched for 23-year-old Aaron Brown III at Arrowhead Stadium. KCTV reports that several Chiefs players attended the concert, including Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce and Chris Jones. Brown is charged with making a terrorist threat, a felony.
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Cases Against Teens Connected to Super Bowl Parade Shooting Resolved
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCUR) – Three teens who were accused of being part of the fatal shootings at the Super Bowl parade last February have wrapped up their cases in Jackson County Court in Missouri.
KCUR reports that the three boys were never named, as is required by law, and a family court judge ruled that they would not be tried as adults. Jackson County Court officials say they amended the felony charges of unlawful use of a weapon against a 16-year-old with the initials “A.M.” and his case is being resolved. A 15-year-old with the initials “R.G.” pleaded guilty to the same charge and was ordered to be committed to the state Division of Youth Services for less than a year. Officials say the third teen faced lesser gun charges and that’s also been resolved.
Three adult men also face second-degree murder charges in the shooting that killed one and injured 24 others.
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KC Woman Guilty in $900,000 PPP Fraud Scheme
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KMBC) - A Kansas City woman has pleaded guilty to helping defraud the federal Paycheck Protection Program out of nearly a million dollars. Prosecutors say 55-year-old Renetta Golden-Larimore admitted to conspiring to commit wire fraud. KMBC TV reports that her guilty plea involves submitting false loan applications to the Paycheck Protection Program, which resulted in the federal government giving $900,000 in loans to ineligible recipients. Some of these loans were then forgiven despite being used for unauthorized purposes. Prosecutors say Golden-Larimore herself earned about $76,000 in the scheme.
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Drone Survey Gathers Data from High Plains Aquifer
LIBERAL, Kan. (KNS) – The aquifer that’s the main water source for western Kansans can still be a mystery even to hydrologists. The Kansas News Service reports that’s why a helicopter recently zigzagged through rural northwest Kansas, gathering data from the High Plains Aquifer for the first phase of an airborne study. The helicopter dragged a large electromagnetic tool above the ground to get more accurate readings of the thickness and sediment composition of the aquifer. Jim Butler with the Kansas Geological Survey says different sediments can change how much water can be pumped out of the ground. “You might have a nice sandy gravel zone that all the wells are pumping from, but then as the water level drops down, it may drop down into less permeable conditions,” he explained. Butler says this new data can help both scientists and farmers more accurately predict the future of the aquifer.
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Water Restrictions Take Effect this Week in Wichita
WICHITA, Kan. (KNS/KPR) - Several places in Kansas, like Hays, already have water restrictions in place - and have for years. Other cities are now following suit. The city of Wichita is enacting restrictions this week as water levels at Cheney Reservoir continue to fall. The city gets its water from the reservoir and the Equus beds. Levels at Cheney are the lowest since 2013. Wichita water customers will be limited to one day a week for outdoor watering. That day depends on where residents live. Residents are also only allowed to water in the late evening to early morning hours. The restrictions will last for at least two months. Residents who use well water are exempt from the restrictions.
More information is available at savewichitawater.com. (Read more.)
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With Bird Flu Detected in Dairy Herds, More Concerns Raised About Consuming Raw Milk
PARKVILLE, Mo. (HPM) - The demand for raw milk is strong. But the emergence of bird flu in dairy cattle is raising new concerns about the safety of drinking raw milk. Farmers producing the unpasteurized milk say they’re closely monitoring their herds and supply. At Be Whole Again Farm, in PArkville, Missouri, Rachel Moser said her team tests milk from each quarter of each cow’s udder everyday. Missouri has had no reported cases of bird flu in cattle. “Most of my customers trust that we are doing everything in our power to keep our product extremely safe… and that we’ve got their best interest at heart,” she said.
Still, health experts warn that raw milk can contain pathogens that the pasteurization process kills – including e-coli, listeria and salmonella. In June, raw milk from a farm in California was connected to the largest salmonella outbreak from the product in over 20 years.
Bird flu was detected in dairy cattle for the first time in March. Since then herds in 13 states have tested positive, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. While there’s no evidence that humans can contract bird flu through drinking raw milk, Nicole Martin, an assistant research professor in dairy foods microbiology at Cornell University, said there are unanswered questions about how the virus can spread. Learn more here.
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